The TNPS 2023 Annual Conference will be held in conjunction with the Elsie Quarterman Cedar Glade Festival Friday, May 5 and Saturday, May 6, at Cedars of Lebanon State Park. It will start with check-in and an opening reception beginning at 3:00 PM on Friday for early arrivals, continuing into a leisurely opening reception at Cedar Forest Lodge. There will be a barbecue dinner (requires a meal ticket) at 5:30 PM at the Assembly Hall, followed by evening lectures (Hobart Aiken, state cultural interpretive specialist, and Todd Crabtree, state botanist) at 7:00 PM at the Cedar Forest Lodge. On Saturday there is something for everyone, starting with an early morning bird-watching hike, longer cedar glade field hikes in the morning and afternoon, botany by bike, photography workshop, painting a wildflower, geology hikes, a session about managing cedar glades in action, wild edible foods, gardening with native plants, and some specific activities for kids. In the event of inclement weather, events may be shifted around.

There will be an opportunity to sign up for Saturday field trips and Glade Festival activities before and after the Friday evening lectures. Registration for field trips and activities can also be completed online at: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/events/cedars-of-lebanon/#/?park=cedars-of-lebanon. Most of the activities are free (Note: on the website you may be asked to donate to state parks, no need to do so for free events) but several have a small fee to be paid on the website: Botany by Bike, Photography, and Paint a Coneflower. After our Saturday activities we will have Italian dinner (requires a meal ticket) in the Assembly Hall, followed by a brief meeting of all TNPS members and then a lecture by Pandy Upchurch at 7 PM. On Sunday morning, May 7, there will be a hike to Couchville Glade/Long Hunter State Park.